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Socinus , '' mentioned in the letter , was by Biddle , and entitled " The Life of that incomparable Man , Fanstus Socinus Senensis , described by a Polonian Knight . London , Printed for Richard Moone , at the seven stars in Paul ' s Church-yard , near the great North-doore . 1653 . " This publication , and several of the same
tendency , were the natural consequences of that toleration , which , to the disgrace of the Long- Parliament , was a good effect of their lawless expulsion by Cromwell . Those
inconsistent asserters of freedom appear , indeed , with a few illustrious exceptions , to have been profoundly ignorant of the great truth , that religious liberty is the most important among civil rights .
To this translation is prefixed a short address " to the Reader , " signed J . B ., which thus commences : " The Life of Socinus is here exposed to thy view , that , by the perusal thereof thou maist receive certain information
concerning the man , whom ministers and others traduce by custome , having ( for the most part ) never heard any thing of his conversation , nor seen any of his works , or if they have , they were
either unable or unwilling to make a ihorow scrutin y into them , and so no marvel , if they speak evil of him . " The translator proceeds to say of Soeinus 4 e that the vertues of his will
were not inferior unto those of his understanding , he being- every way furnished to the work of the Lord that he opened the right way to bring Christians to the unity of the faith and acknowledgment of the Son of God ; that he took the same course
to propagate the gospel that Christ cmd the apostles had done before him , forsaking his estate and his nearest relations , and undergoing all manner of labours and hazards , to draw men to the knowledge of the truth ; that lie had no other end of all his
undertakings , than the glory of God and Christ , and the salvation of himself and others , it being impossible for calumny itself with any colour to asperse him with the least suspicion of
worldly interest ; that he of all interpreters explaineth the precepts of Christ in the strictest manner , and windeth up the lives of men to the hi ghest strain of holiness . " Then , referring his reader to " the works of
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Socinus himself / 5 he tlius concludes f 4 Though thou beest not thereby convinced that ail which Socinus taught is true , ( for neither am I myself of that belief , as having dicovered that , in some lesser things , Socinus , as a man , went awry , however , in the main , he hit the truth , ) yet for so much of Christ as thou roust needs confess appeareth in him , begin to have more favourable thoughts of him and his followers . "
I have the original of Przipcovius in a very small volume entitled Vita F * Socini Senensis , descripta ab Equite Polono , 1656 . It is , I believe , also prefixed to the works of Socinus , among the Fratres Poloni .
It is to be regretted that the Biblio theca Antitrinitariorum of Sandius , is not yet brought before the English reader , though it appears to have been , probably for several years , in another modern tongue . That service , especially to Unitarians , was , I
believe , expected some years since from the very competent pen " which has done so much justice to the Racovidn Catechism , as your readers may be reminded by referring to the Review of that work in several parts of your XVth Volume .
J . T . RUTT . iC I have by me Bibliotheca Antitrinitariorum a Sandio , lent me by Mr . Merivale , in which there is an abridged history of the Socinians . I suppose the French is a translation of this , and want to number either that or
the original amongst my books . The Unitarian Tracts were lent me by the same gentleman . I find these books difficult to be procured , as they are
very scarce . 4 have received the Life of Socinus , with which you have indulged me . It is a translation of Przipcovius ' s Life of this great man . Since your book came to hand , I have been so fortunate as to meet with the Racovian
Catechism in Latin , a neat copy and good edition- I think it would make a useful publication by itself , and has no immediate connexion with the Life of Socinus . It would , in my opinion ,
prove a very serviceable manual of polemical divinity to common readers ; if printed so , as to be sold and dispersed at a low price . I could prepare an edition for the press soon , whilst
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Original Letter of Dr . Toulmin ' s . 535
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Sept. 2, 1825, page 535, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2540/page/21/
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